Why “Justice Knows No Borders” is the 2025 Encampment Theme

What do “borders” have to do with democracy and the development of a new generation of leaders and activists? While immigrants, in particular, have much to fear in the current political climate, borders can represent not only national boundaries, but also the invisible lines between schools, communities, identities, and even ways of thinking. To have a vibrant multicultural democracy, justice must move beyond these borders. People must work together across borders to make democracy viable.

Where can young people learn to do that — to truly understand people who are different than them, with different backgrounds and experiences, and to care about justice across borders. How can they live and work with each other to develop community, agency, and a sense of empowerment?

This is the work the Encampment has been doing since its inception and is committed to doing into the future. The EFC was founded to provide an antidote to fascism by fostering critical thinking and empathy across the “borders” of different backgrounds and experiences. Our mission is to empower young minds through experiential learning, critical thinking, and creative expression, fostering curiosity, questioning, and imagination. The Encampment provides a transformative lens, guiding participants to view justice, diversity, respect, truth-telling, and the building of democratic communities as not just as abstract ideals but as values and practices that take root in their lives, work, and hearts.

This July (1–22), the EFC’s summer program will bring together young people from across the nation who are passionate about shaping our country’s future to be more just for everyone. Early in the program, we will guide Encampers through a multi-day series on immigration, including historical context, current policy analysis, and connections to other social justice movements. We will support them to build their own community of justice-seekers where every voice is heard and empowered.

We have secured collaborations with several key organizations in Ventura County, including Friends of Fieldworkers and CAUSE (Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy) and the Rio School District. We’ll hold a workshop about grassroots organizing with CAUSE, and support students in conducting interviews with farmworkers to deepen their understanding of local labor and immigration issues. Encampers will also visit Pyramid Flowers, where we will help serve lunch, learn from farmworkers, and volunteer at the Rio School District’s organic farm (a partner organization with EFC’s Pesticide-Free Soil Project).

.Moving beyond the immediate community, Encampers will explore Limuw (now known as Santa Cruz Island), one of the ancestral homes of the Chumash people, with Chumash community leaders who will share their culture and knowledge of the island environment. Encampers will also travel to Los Angeles to focus on youth-led organizing and cultural resistance.

With so much going on and the many causes that want our help, it can be hard to know what is a good investment. Investing in youth will bear fruit now in a transformative experience for each youth — but over time, these young people will become our leaders and changemakers. They will create the democracy of the future. If you want to support justice that knows no borders, invest in the development of youth activists by donating to our Spring Sponsorship Fund. We are raising money to fund young people whose families cannot afford the full program fee. That’s how we fund diversity of leadership from many different communities now and for the future.

We depend on individual donations to do this — your support makes this possible!

Click to DONATE ONLINE or send your gift to The Encampment, P.O. Box 1210, Aptos, CA 95001-1210. Our Federal EIN is 30-0694938. You can help build support for the EFC’s work by sharing this post with your network!

Click to visit our Honor-Someone-by-Sponsoring-2025-Encampers page. You can see the ways to donate and view the slider where people are honoring folks who inspire them.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

If you would like to hear first-hand from the Encampers about what they are learning at the summer program, join us at this year’s annual InterGen(erational) Weekend, July 18–20, either in-person at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA, or virtually for selected portions. We’ll be sending out more information as the event draws closer. Contact: admin@encampmentforcitizenship.org.

Click to learn more about the Pesticide-Free Soil Project and their upcoming event, the Other Strawberry Festival, June 14 in Oxnard, CA.